


Ghost On My Shoulder

by GaHoolianGirl



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: But the death itself is not the story so no tag, F/M, Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright Spoilers, Mentions of Character Death, Nightmares, Post-Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 18:49:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6482929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GaHoolianGirl/pseuds/GaHoolianGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“I was so angry...I wished I could have smashed my dragonstone and tore the whole world apart. Xander...Camilla...Leo... even all of you. I felt like there was no world to fight for without Elise.”</i>
</p><p>“The problem with surviving was that you ended up with the ghosts of everyone you’d ever left behind riding on your shoulders.”<br/>― Paolo Bacigalupi, The Drowned Cities</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ghost On My Shoulder

**Author's Note:**

> I made myself sad with this, which is why it's so short. Birthright made me feel a million times guiltier than Conquest honestly.
> 
> The Corrin here has red shorter-version-of-the-default hair, and the black eye patch.
> 
> I overuse quote summaries but I can't seem to write them myself.

Corrin woke up in a cold sweat, breath coming out in short, uneven puffs. Kaze stirred beside her.

“What’s wrong?” he yawned, sitting up next to her and putting a comforting hand on her arm.

“Kaze, I, I...” she shuddered, sobs preventing any words from escaping her lips. Tears rolled down her cheek from her good eye in steady streams. He patiently waited for her to speak, face tightening in concern.

“I had a dream about Elise and Xander...” she hiccuped, “Her blood...was on my hands...”

“But it wasn’t you who killed her,” he consoled softly.

“I may as well have. I could have commanded you to keep an eye on her, I could have, I could have...” she choked on her own tears again. He pursed his lips, extending both arms to wrap around her, rubbing her back soothingly.

She sobbed into his chest for a moment, soaking both her hair and his chest with tears.

“I was so angry...I wished I could have smashed my dragonstone and tore the whole world apart. Xander...Camilla...Leo... even all of you. I felt like there was no world to fight for without Elise.”

“Do you still feel that way?” he asked softly.

“No...but if I could turn back time...” she coughed, “I would have done so much more to protect her. To protect them. Found some way to avoid fighting them.”

“Xander was the crowned prince...,” he sighed, “he would have fought to his very last breath for his cause, as would have you. I feel as though you were very similar in that way.”

She sniffled ruefully, “I suppose we were. Heh, little princess indeed...” she wiped her nose, “I’m sorry for waking you, Kaze.”

He shook his head, wiping away some of her tears with his thumb, “Do not apologize. If I had to fight Saizo, I would feel the same way. Whether or not you were born to them, they are your family, milady. Nothing could or can change that.”

“I don’t feel like anyone other than you would have understood...they would be confused. ‘You’ve chosen and defended Hoshido, why do you feel sympathy for those Nohrian scum?’...” she sighed, “I chose Hoshido, but I may still grieve. They still raised me. Garon was the bastard, not them.”

“No one expects you to feel nothing, dear,” he put a hand on her cheek, “your family knows; every moment of elation they felt at your return, your Norhian kin felt an equal amount of agony at your loss.”

“I-I...” she pressed her cheek into his palm, “thank you, Kaze. I think I might be able to sleep now.”

“I’m here beside you if you need me. I’ll wake for you no matter the hour.”

She kissed his cheek, a weak smile returning to her face, “For now, all I ask is...hold me?”

He smiled back at her, nodding and wrapping his arms around her again. They fell back onto the bed with a giggle. She closed her eyes, and he waited for her breathing to slow and even in her slumber. He brushed the hair out of her face, assured that no matter what path she took, he’d be beside her on it.•

**Author's Note:**

> I had some trouble getting into their characters


End file.
